What is hydroplaning and how can it be prevented? What to do if the car skids on the water?

Although at first glance hydroplaning may seem like a low-risk phenomenon, in fact, it can lead to a serious traffic accident. It all depends on its intensity, of course. It is one thing to temporarily lose control of the steering wheel, but it is much more dangerous to skid uncontrollably. And this is possible in the case of a phenomenon known as hydroplaning. To prevent this, it is worth knowing where it comes from and how to react when it appears while driving.

What is aquaplaning?

Hydroplaning occurs when a wedge of water forms where the tire meets the ground. At the same time, the tread is not able to drain all the water that is under the wheel. The tire loses traction and the driver loses control of the car. It feels like the car is starting to leak. This is not entirely true, but in fact it moves in the way it is typical, for example, for ships, i.e. moves a little sideways, but still pushes forward.

Most often, control of the car is regained when the tire comes into contact with the road again. Most often this happens after a while, but if the puddle is larger, it may be after a few. The longer hydroplaning lasts, the more likely it is that you will completely lose control of the vehicle, which means that a dangerous traffic accident may occur. Statistically this is rare, but of course a more pessimistic scenario should also be considered. Especially when it happens at high speeds. The faster you drive, the more unpredictable hydroplaning will be.

Why does a car lose traction when driving through water? It's not just about tire tread

The task of a tire on a wet surface is to “push” water, as well as release it to the sides and back with the help of a tread. The fluid pressure naturally increases in this situation. When it reaches a value that exceeds the pressure created by the vehicle, it will begin to float on it. Here is how hydroplaning can be defined in terms of physics. Knowing the theory, it is also worth saying what factors influence its occurrence while driving.

Tire construction

Nowadays, manufacturers are practically flooding the market with different types of tires. Some have an asymmetric tread pattern, while others have a directional tread pattern. There are also models designed for wet driving. Of course, they have specific solutions to help evacuate water, but the depth of the grooves, in other words, the height of the tread, is of key importance. The more worn the tire is, the worse it drains water.

The new summer tire has a tread depth of 7 to 9 mm (depending on the type and manufacturer) and maximizes driving performance. The minimum permitted tread depth is 1,6mm. It's not hard to imagine how much less efficient a worn tire is. For this reason alone, you should not wait with the exchange until the last minute.

Tire pressure

Studies of the phenomenon of hydroplaning have clearly shown that tires with low pressure are much more susceptible to its occurrence. In this case, the tires have less ability to repel water while driving - then it can be problematic to overcome a larger layer of water. It will also take longer to regain control of the vehicle. If you want to avoid losing traction, keep your tire pressure under control. However, remember that it must meet the standards set by the manufacturer of your car.

Tire width and shape

The formation of a water wedge during movement, as already mentioned, is a natural phenomenon. Knowing what fluid mechanics is, we know that a rounded shape offers less resistance than a flat one. That's why rounder tires perform better on the water.

The same applies to tire width. The wider it is, the more liters of water it has to "throw out" when driving on wet surfaces - just more contact area between the tire and the road surface. Purely theoretically, wide tires are more prone to hydroplaning. Of course, a lot depends on their design and tread height. However, this fact should be kept in mind.

Other

The possible occurrence of aquaplaning is also influenced by factors such as:

• condition and type of surface (the problem appears more often, for example, on concrete);
• the depth of the water you want to drive through;
• the age of the tire - the older it is, the less flexible;
• suspension wear;
• too sharp braking;
• excessive speed.

How to avoid aquaplaning?

Knowing how many variables can lead to hydroplaning, it is worth realizing that it is impossible to completely avoid this phenomenon. However, there are two things you can do to reduce your risk of having it. First of all, you should take care of the quality of the tires on your car - control the pressure and tread depth. When you notice that your car is less confident, be sure to consider changing your tires.

The second aspect is to be careful while driving. It is important to avoid hitting puddles at high speed. It is often impossible to judge their depth from the driver's point of view, so it is best to slow down by a few km/h and cross the body of water on the road at a safe speed. Which? Of course, this question cannot be answered unequivocally, but the rule is simple - the slower the better.

What to do if hydroplaning occurs?

When hydroplaning, as when skidding on snow or ice, the key is to remain calm. When you lose control of the vehicle, do not make sudden movements with the steering wheel and do not press the accelerator or brake pedal unnecessarily. The moment of recovery of grip is the most dangerous. If you give too much gas, the car will twitch in the direction in which the wheels are turned. Braking, on the other hand, can cause the vehicle to behave uncontrollably. The consequences can be tragic, and the effect of hydroplaning will be an accident or a collision with a barrier or ditch. 

A wet road can be just as dangerous as an icy one. Many people forget about this when driving into puddles at too high a speed. This can lead to unpleasant consequences. Therefore, avoid unnecessary and dangerous behavior on the road by wisely planning your next maneuvers. If you see a flooded section of the roadway, slow down using the vehicle's powertrain without applying the brakes too hard. The phenomenon of hydroplaning can be very dangerous - it is worth knowing how to behave in case of its occurrence.